"After my death our beloved Church abroad will break three ways .... first the Greeks will leave us as they were never a part of us ... then those who live for this world and its glory will go to Moscow ... what will remain will be those souls faithful to Christ and His Church." St. Philaret of NY 1985

Nativity Sermon: God is with us

“GOD IS WITH US, UNDERSTAND, O YE NATIONS, AND SUBMIT YOURSELVES: FOR GOD IS WITH US!”These words were sung triumphantly and joyfully at the very beginning of the service on the Eve of Nativity. They were pronounced many centuries before the Nativity of Christ by the great Prophet Isaiah. At that time, the whole world was sunk in the darkness of idolatry. Only in the small Jewish nation in the small country of Palestine was there a flicker of the true knowledge of God, but all the other millions of people were pagan. Enlightened by the Holy Spirit, the Prophet Isaiah saw far into the future through this darkness of idolatry, and what was to take place a long time later to him was already accomplished, and he says, “God is with us, understand, O ye nations”.Many centuries went by until this wonder of wonders that the Prophet Isaiah foretold came to pass, and the ‘great mystery of piety’ took place. God appeared in the flesh and deigned to lie in a manger. And the Church takes us on the wings of faith and hope to Bethlehem and announces, “Christ is born, give ye glory! Christ cometh from heaven, meet ye Him! Christ is on earth, be ye exalted!”We heard the touching Gospel account of how the simple shepherds watching over their flocks in the fields of Bethlehem were found worthy to behold a heavenly vision and heard the good tidings brought by the messenger from heaven that the Savior of the world was born. They heard the angelic hymn “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!” And of course they remembered this for the rest of their lives, and they could wholeheartedly agree with the poet who said, “Heavenly sounds can in no way compare with the mundane songs of the earth”.The holy angels sang about peace. And He Who came to the earth and lay in the manger is called ‘Mighty God, Ruler, Prince of Peace’. However, it is often said now that even if Christ did bring peace to the world, this peace did not last, because after His Nativity people still kept fighting amongst themselves just as before, and there were still wars and especially, worst of all, internal strife.One cannot blame Christianity for not fulfilling its promise and delivering peace to the world. When it comes to outward peace, we have to remember that the Savior specifically said, “Do not think that I came to bring peace to the world – I brought not peace but a sword” (Mt. 10:34). These are His exact words in the Holy Gospel. Yet this does not contradict what the holy angels were proclaiming, because there are different kinds of peace.These days we hear a lot of talk about peace – peace for the whole world, peaceful dialog, and so on. People wax eloquent and write volumes on this subject. The powers that talk most about peace in fact are the ones who oppose it in the first place. Although they emphasize peace above all, there is so much falsehood and deceit in their speeches. All these false peacemakers want to combine principles which are totally incompatible with each other. Fire cannot be combined with water. Something cannot be black and white at the same time. Good and evil can never be united. We see with much sorrow that this falsehood is taking over more and more. At every step, the so-called ‘free world’ shamelessly concedes to its open and blatant onslaught.Just remember that the Lord never promised this kind of external peace. On the contrary, He said outright, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars” (Mt. 24:6). He talked about internal strife, and that people would ultimately die from fright and fearful anticipation of what will happen to the world. At the same time, the Lord talked with His disciples at the Last Supper exactly about what the angels were singing on the night of His Nativity. The Lord said, “Peace I leave with you,” and He added, “not as the world gives do I give to you” (Jn 14:29). The peace of Christ is not at all like the peace the false peacemakers make a fuss about. The peace of Christ is above all peace that a man has with God and with his conscience. This peace is full of truth and love, and not falsehood and deceit. And this is the peace that Christ the Savior truly brought to the earth, and His true and faithful followers know exactly what this peace is. St. Seraphim of Sarov was saying to one of his visitors, “My Joy, attain peace, and not only will you save yourself, but thousands around you will be saved.”

Mankind has longed for this true peace, because it does not see peace in all those false claims. Isn’t it obvious in our daily life now? The world is going further and further away from peace. And indeed, long ago, the Lord said through his prophet that the false peacemakers are deceiving their listeners. They say, “Peace, peace”, and there is no peace. The Lord went on to say through His prophet, “for the unrighteous, there is no peace”. And this is the way it is going to be with mankind, because it keeps giving itself more and more over to unrighteousness.However, let our hearts not be troubled. The Lord gives His peace to everyone who seeks His peace and to everyone who submits to Him. As soon as a person starts leading a good Christian life, the peace of Christ immediately reigns in his soul.May the Lord, the Prince of Peace, grant everyone who is faithful to Him His blessed peace. Amen.St. Metropolitan Philaret of New York, Vol. I. pp. 65-67 ___________________________

another translation(?)

ON THE DAY OF THE NATIVITY OF CHRIST

“GOD IS WITH US, UNDERSTAND, O YE NATIONS, AND SUBMIT

YOURSELVES: FOR GOD IS WITH US!”

In the Nativity service you heard how the choir so triumphantly and joyfully sang these sacred words. They were first uttered many centuries before the Nativity of Christ by the great seer of mysteries and prophet of God Isaiah. At that time, the whole world was sunk in the darkness of idolatry. There was only a very small flicker of the true knowledge of God in the small Hebrew nation, in the small country of Palestine, while all the other millions of people were pagans. However, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, the Prophet Isaiah with his inspired gaze saw through the darkness into the future to what would come to pass quite a while later. He saw this event as if happening before his own eyes and he says, “God is with us, understand, O ye nations [i.e. ‘heathen peoples’]”. This prophesy of Isaiah was fulfilled many centuries later when the wonder of wonders, the ‘great mystery of piety’ took place: God appeared in the flesh and deigned to lie in a manger. And the Church takes us on the wings of faith and hope to Bethlehem and announces, “Christ is born, give ye glory! Christ cometh from heaven, meet ye Him! Christ is on earth, be ye exalted!”

We just heard the touching Gospel account of how simple shepherds watching over their flocks in the fields of Bethlehem were found worthy to behold a heavenly vision and hear the good tidings brought by the messenger from heaven that the Savior of the world was born. They heard the angelic hymn “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!” And of course they remembered this hymn, which they heard with great awe, for the rest of their lives. Much later, a poet most likely had this is mind when he said, “Heavenly sounds can in no way compare with the mundane songs of the earth”.

The holy angels sang about peace, and He Who came to earth and lay in the manger is called ‘Mighty God, Ruler, Prince of Peace’, that is, the Master of the world. However, it is often said now that even if Christ did bring peace to the world, this peace did not last, because after His Nativity people still kept fighting amongst themselves just as before, and there were still wars and especially, worst of all, internal strife. However, one cannot blame Christianity for not fulfilling its promise and delivering peace to the world. It was not outward peace that Christ brought. The Savior clearly and categorically said as we read in the Gospel, “Do not think that I came to bring peace to the world – I brought not peace but a sword” (Mt. 10:34). These are His exact words in the Holy Gospel. Yet this does not contradict what the holy angels were proclaiming, because there are different kinds of peace.

These days we hear a lot of talk about peace, calls for peace for the whole world through peace conferences, and so on. People wax greatly eloquent on this theme. Yet behind all this talk there is a powerful presence whose main task is to prevent peace on earth! And it is the one insisting on peace more than anything else! Although these false peacemakers emphasize peace, there is so much falsehood and deceit in their speeches, and they want to mix up their ‘peace’ with true peace and upset the foundation which is completely incompatible with them and cannot exist together with them.

Regarding rumors of war and strife, the Lord said that in the end people will die of fear merely from the thought of war and the anticipation of what will happen in the world. At the same time, the Lord spoke with His disciples about this very thing the angels were singing about. The Lord said, “Peace I leave with you,” and He added, “not as the world gives do I give to you” (Jn. 14:29). The peace of Christ is not at all like the peace the false peacemakers make a fuss about. The peace of Christ is above all peace that a man has with God and with his conscience, a peace that is the fulfillment of love, and not one of falsehood and lies. This is the peace that Christ the Savior brought to earth. Those who are truly Christian in mind and thought know exactly what peace REALLY is. St. Seraphim of Sarov said to one of his visitors, “My Joy, attain peace, and not only will you save yourself, but thousands around you as well.”

Mankind has longed for this true peace, because it does not see peace in all those false claims. Is it not obvious in our daily life now? The world is going further and further away from peace. Indeed, long ago, the Lord said through his prophet that the false peacemakers are deceiving their listeners. They say, “Peace, peace!” and there is no peace. The Lord said clearly, “for the unrighteous, there is no peace”. And there will be no peace for mankind, because it keeps giving itself more and more over to unrighteousness and impiety.

However, let our hearts not be troubled. The Lord gives His peace to everyone who seeks His peace and submits to Him. As soon as a person starts leading a good Christian life, the peace of Christ immediately reigns in his soul. May the Lord, the Prince of Peace, grant everyone who is faithful to Him His blessed peace. Amen.

RUSSIAN

Audio

"And here is something to which I would like to draw your attention to – something about which very many do not think about. Father Archimandrite Constantine, whom probably many of you know, the reposed editor of the journal “Orthodox Rus’”, a profound Christian mind, considered that the most terrible among all the achievements of the communists was that the communists created their own false-church, a soviet church which they shoved onto the unfortunate people in place of the genuine Church which went underground into the catacombs. Do not think that I am exaggerating or that Father Constantine was exaggerating!

Once, in the year 1918, a Pan-Russian Church Council was held. At this Council, the entire Pan-Russian Church together with its first holy hierarch, Patriarch Tikhon ANATHEMATIZED, excommunicated from the Church not only the theomachists and godless ones themselves, but also ALL THOSE WHO WOULD COLLABORATE WITH THEM."

ETC.

Prayer to St. Philaret

O our Saintly father Philaret, God chosen confessor of recent times, true Orthodox hierarch, guide, upholder and dependable intercessor before God for all true Orthodox faithful, standing and praying for them before God’s altar: implore our ever benevolent God to forgive us our sins and wash them away through our repentance. Through your prayers, save us from calumny of the godless and endow us with a fear of God, so that we may remain faithful children of Christ’s True Church to the end. Strengthen us in the confession of our Faith, so that we will not be frightened of persecution or suffering, and should we suffer for our Orthodox Faith, grant us strength not to reject Christ and not to accept the mark of the accursed antichrist.

In not hiding your labours and enduring extreme conditions for the sake of True Orthodoxy, we extol and propagate your good works:

Glorifying the Royal Martyrs and the new Russian Confessors of Orthodoxy; for giving all true Orthodox Christians a true Apostolic succession; for anathematizing ecumenism that is the heresy of all heresies, and maintaining the rightness of authority through the unwavering truth of Christ’s words.

We lay before you our prayer for your help, blessing and intercession, and at all times beseech your prayers for us.

Do not cease to utter prayers to the Lover of Man God for the small flock of true Orthodox Christians, and may He grant peace to his Church, and may He deliver Her from heresies and schisms. May He also deliver us from the darkness of sin and lusts, from the clandestine snares of the sly antichrist, and may we remain steadfast unto death in confessing our holy Orthodoxy, so that in the end we may without condemnation receive Communion of the Lord’s Holy Flesh and Blood from true clergy. And at the close of our lives, may we secure mercy and clemency from the Lord, Who created us and gave us life and made us what we are, and to Whom is due every glory, praise, honour and adoration, with the eternal Father and Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages.

Amen

PRAYER

O Hierarch of Christ Philaret, with contrition of heart we glorify thee and entreat thee. Having boldness before the Holy Trinity, One in essence and undivided, intercede that the Russian Church not be divided: that the Lord keep it from being cut asunder, as St. Mark of Ephesus plead; may He save it from ruptures in its body, as prayed the Hierarch Philaret of Moscow; and may He preserve also the lot of thine episcopate, the Russian diaspora, scattered among the nations, instructing them in the Orthodox Faith, bearing unfeigned witness to the truth, confessing the faith of the holy fathers, preserving the language of Saints Methodius and Cyril in the order of the divine services, and celebrating the feasts of the Church of Christ as of old.

Through thy prayers, may the Lord grant the wisdom of serpents and the purity of doves to His hierarchs, apostolic love and prophetic zeal, the patience and sympathy and total forgiveness of Christ. That He confirm the pastors in care for their spiritual children, teaching them to flee the attractions of this fallen world, that He enrich their knowledge with the glad tidings of the Gospel, keep their hands impartial to filthy lucre, direct their feet to preaching the Gospel of peace, preserve their hearts in purity. That He grant monastics the spirit of obedience, chastity, self-restraint, observing the monastic rules, confirmed in nonpossessiveness. And to the people of God, the infants, young boys and girls, men and women and the aged may He grant health of soul and body, the spirit of faith, the spirit of love, the spirit of loyalty to their Orthodox faith. And for all of us to acquire blessedness and inherit the heavenly Kingdom. Amen

Tone III

The Hierarchs of Christ today stand in the assembly of the Saints * and with the angelic choirs pray to God for us; * together with them also the Hierarch of the Lord Philaret * a canon of faith and icon of meekness * who appeared to his flock as a teacher of continence * having acquired by humility things lofty and by poverty riches * he intercedeth for our souls.

Tone IV

Graced with an apostolic mind * enthroned with the Hierarchs of the Russian Church * divinely wise cultivator of the Russian diaspora * confessor of the love of Christ * zealot of Orthodoxy * Holy Father Philaret our Hierarch * entreat Christ our God * to establish spiritual unity in the Church of our Fathers * and to save our souls.

Troparion Tone IV

From childhood thou gavest thyself wholly to the Lord, abiding in prayer, labors and fasting, O God-bearing Philaret, and becamest a model of shining virtue for thy flock; therefore, beholding thy pious disposition, God appointed thee a shepherd and valiant hierarch for His Church, and after thy repose preserved thy holy body incorrupt. Wherefore, beseech Him fervently that He save our souls.

Kontakion Tone II

SPEC. MEL. "SEEKING THE HIGHEST"

Ascending on thy virtues as upon a fiery chariot, thou art united to the noetic ranks on high, O Philaret. Wherefore, thou art now a converser with the angels, O holy one, praying unceasingly with them to Christ God in behalf of us all.

HYMN TONE 3

O Holy Confessor, Philaret, Intercessor for the remnant, Thy holy relics were revealed to us on St. Michael's day, Confounding the enemy, And strengthening us for the trials to come. Thou art a sure guide on the Royal Path. O Blessed leadership! O steadfast truth-lover, Pray to God for us.

QUOTE

A man who does not express a desire to link himself to the latest of the saints (in time) in all love and humility owing to a certain distrust in himself, will never be linked to the preceding saints and will not be admitted to their succession, even though he thinks he possesses all possible faith and love for God and for all His saints. He will be cast out of their midst, as one who refused to take humbly the place allotted to him by God before all time, and to link himself to that latest saint (in time) as God had disposed.